Hiu Lui Ng

Ng came to New York City from Hong Kong in 1992 at age 17. He went to college, became a computer engineer, married a United States citizen, and fathered two American born sons. While in immigration detention, Ng grew frail and complained for months of excruciating back pain. Officials at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island denied him an independent medical evaluation. which was declined by a judge, but nevertheless directed that Ng receive the medical treatment. When he finally saw a doctor, the diagnosis was terminal cancer and a broken spine. He died five days later. ==Aftermath==

Ng's lawyers demanded a criminal investigation in a letter to federal and state prosecutors in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, and the Department of Homeland Security. Prompted by the death, Congressman José Enrique Serrano wrote to the ICE, in a letter dated August 13, 2008: "there is a certain standard we should live up to for everyone we have detained and it is outrageous that anyone would be treated in such a fashion while in your custody." Members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation requested a Homeland Security investigation into the death. In response to a Washington Post article that highlighted the case of Ng and identified 30 questionable deaths among 83 detainee deaths in ICE agency custody through March 2008 (beginning in March 2003 when the agency was created), Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced the Detainee Basic Medical Bill (HR. 5950) in the House and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the bill (S. 3005) in the Senate. Both bills requires "the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for the timely and effective delivery of medical and mental health care to all immigration detainees in custody"; the bills did not survive past committee. ==See also==